A CHAPTER ON SPIDERS,

Otago Witness, Issue 2689, 27 September 1905, Page 81

A CHAPTER ON SPIDERS,

"Last week I concluded a paper on "Leaves and Roots," and from the same source, the Education Gazette and Teachers' Aid, to-day I commence one on these, to many, repulsive little creatures. But are they go? Read^this: —

Son? a ladies have as much horror of spiders J as they have of rats, but on 3of the sex Hrra been affirming fcl--at these insects can be mada into the " dearest little pots in tiro world." Miss Wenfcworth Leighton tells h«w she kept a ccmnnon or garden, spider for three weeks. Sh© watched her " b\ulding her house of snowy silk"' arid raising a family; and, says tJie T'ariteir, " dio soon Icaxned to take food from my hand, aiid drink water from a leaf which I gave lice fresh every day." There ar&, indeed, according to this lady, few things so agreeable as a spider, whether regaiNled as an architect, a thing of beauty, a gjayei* of pasts, or a household pet.

And then read this, taken from the School

Paper : — What a clever little creature a spider is! How wonderful it is that such a tiny creature can maka such a beautiful web! . The Stohy op Abachnb.

Many, many years ago, people .rha saw the tiny creature weaving such a wonderful web often, said to one another. " How can &he do it? How clever she is! You ffould not think

m a little animal could' weave like that." Ajid f they called her Axachne, which means "tii© F Tveav&r," and made up this story about her. L "I/ong ago, Arachne was a very beautiful m maiden, who liv.sd on the «arth, bin knew ail! W the gods and godeisst-s who lived above the k clouds. Not oniy wa-5 she very beautiful, but " ehe was very clever, too, and especially clever in spinning and weaving. She could weave 'the most beautiful things ever seen, and no ona >©n the eaMi could weave like her. " Iv-ew a.ll the goddesses had soitu© work to ~^so on> earth, and there was one, the wisest of them, all, whose work, it was to teach the people of the earth to do all kinds of things. Amongst other things ehe had tawght women, and especially Arachne, to spin, and weave. H&r name was Athene.

" Arachne was praised ;so much for her beautiful weaviug that she became very proud > and vain about it. ' I beliave,' she said, ' that I can woave better than any one on earth, and better, too, than Athene herself.' " Of counrse, people did not believe heo.\ so

fefa.e sai<3. 7 * I "will vr-efiv© srevcix £l befcui'tif'i.il piece «£ cloth fkai you will he oUig-ed to say ilia., even Athifliie could liardlj ueaveoue ecyial to

it, and certainly could not make one better than it.'

" So she set to woak, and took all kinds of beautiful coloured threads, ar.d wove them into a piece of cloth that was exactly like a beautiful picture. It was done bo peifcctly ihat no one could find a single fault in it.

" There!' said Arachne. 'That is bettei than anything Athene cou'.d do.'

"■ But Athene knew all that had been go-ing on. She canira 1o look at the beautiful woven cloth, and could find no fault with it.

'" ' No.' said proud vain Arachne, ' you could not do puch beautiful work as that yourself.' " Athene was sorry to hear Arachne speak so rudely.

" ' Arachne!' she said, gently but severely, you have grown 100 vain and proud. I am soiiy to cl'o it, bui you must bo punished, or you will grow istill worse.' And. taking Arachne's beautiful jiie-ce °f cloth, &ho tore it into biis.

" Then how sad Aiachne felt ; she was co &ad she couldn't bear 1 to sea or speak to anybody. Bxit she was not sorry because she had been so naughty, only sorry because her work was spoilt. So she meant to do a more wicked thing still. She look a piece of rope, and began to hang herself.

" But kind Athene would not let her be so wicked. She came quickly from above the clouds and saved her. Then, far fear Aracknc should again be naughty, Athene changed her into a spider, and her rop-s into the thread froxa which the spider hangs."

That is the reason, said the people long ago that spiders can waave so cleverly, because iliioy are ail Aaraohnes.

But, perhaps. I had better leave the first instalment of the article iteelf to stand over until next week.

Here aro two poetical selections. They are made to apply to the gentler sex. Why? I think they apply quite ecvually to the sterner sex: —

The Yeaks Pass On. (Tho Children's Paper). " Wh«n I'm a woman you'll sco what I'll do! Til be great and gcod, and noble and faue; I'll visit the sick and relieve the poorNo one shall ever be turned fro 1 ! my door; But I'm only a little girl now." And so the years pass on. "When I'm older I'll have more time To think of heaven and things sublime ; My time is now full of studies and play, But I really mean to begin some day; I'm only a littlo girl now " And ao the years pass on. " When. I'm a woman," a gay maiden said, " I'll try ie do right, and not he afraid ; I'll be a Christian, and give up the joys Of the world with all its dazzling toys ; But I'm only a young girl now.'' And so the years pass on. "Ah me!" sighed a woman grey with yeaxs, Her heart full of cares, and doubts, and "feaafa, " I've kept putting off the time to be good, Instead of beginning to do as I should; But I'm an old woman now." And fo the years pass on. "NT-ow is the time to begin to do right — To-day, whether skies be" dark or bright. Make others happy by deeds of love Looking to Jesus for help from above; And then you'll be happy now, And as the rears i>ass on.

The Deab Old Lady. (The Children's Paper.) The dear old lady, on cur street—

I wonder if you've met her She's always smiling, and so sweet That no one could forget her. Shfr hasn't read a hundred books In all her life, she tells me ; And if you were to judge by looks, The honest truth compels me To say she does not seem so wise As many girls of twenty; And yet no friend of hers denies She knows a lot, and plenty. Her twinkling eyes are hid behind A pair of gold-rimmed glasses; She's slightly deaf and slightly blind To many a thing that passes. She'll se>e the sunset in the west

And note its radiant gloTies, And speak of mansions of the blest

And sweet old Bible stories. She'll see the bluebird and the thrush, She'll hear the cricket calling ; She'll listen in the twilight's hush For sudden raindrops falling. But if you say that Jane is proud, And John is so conceited, Although you say it very loud, You find yourself defeated. She softly answers, " Jane is good She helps her widowed father; There are not many girls that would, And make no fuss or both&r. Yes, John is quite considerate, And handsome, too, and "manly, Reminding one, he's so sedate, Of outs of Henty Stanley!" She simply will not hear or see The faults in all her neighbours j You point them out persistently, But vain are all your labours. She finds the good in every heart, In child, or man, of woman ; And so she always takes their part, And says, " To err is human." Ah! do you wonder, when you know, That we have learned to love her? Her form is withered, bent, and slow* But heaven is just above her.