of　all　their　warnings；　by　the　carelessness；　and　laziness；　and　greed
  of　sinful　man。　　And　as　I　thought　over　the　whole　hapless　question　of
  sanitary　reform；　proved　long　since　a　moral　duty　to　God　and　man；
  possible；　easy；　even　pecuniarily　profitable；　and　yet　left　undone；
  there　seemed　a　sublime　irony；　most　humbling　to　man；　in　some　of
  Nature's　processes；　and　in　the　silent　and　unobtrusive　perfection
  with　which　she　has　been　taught　to　anticipate；　since　the　foundation
  of　the　world；　some　of　the　loftiest　discoveries　of　modern　science；
  of　which　we　are　too　apt　to　boast　as　if　we　had　created　the　method　by
  discovering　its　possibility。　　Created　it？　　Alas　for　the　pride　of
  human　genius；　and　the　autotheism　which　would　make　man　the　measure
  of　all　things；　and　the　centre　of　the　universe！　　All　the　invaluable
  laws　and　methods　of　sanitary　reform　at　best　are　but　clumsy
  imitations　of　the　unseen　wonders　which　every　animalcule　and　leaf
  have　been　working　since　the　world's　foundation；　with　this　slight
  difference　between　them　and　us；　that　they　fulfil　their　appointed
  task；　and　we　do　not。
  The　sickly　geranium　which　spreads　its　blanched　leaves　against　the
  cellar　panes；　and　peers　up；　as　if　imploringly；　to　the　narrow　slip
  of　sunlight　at　the　top　of　the　narrow　alley；　had　it　a　voice；　could
  tell　more　truly　than　ever　a　doctor　in　the　town；　why　little　Bessy
  sickened　of　the　scarlatina；　and　little　Johnny　of　the　hooping…cough；
  till　the　toddling　wee　things　who　used　to　pet　and　water　it　were
  carried　off　each　and　all　of　them　one　by　one　to　the　churchyard
  sleep；　while　the　father　and　mother　sat　at　home；　trying　to　supply　by
  gin　that　very　vital　energy　which　fresh　air　and　pure　water；　and　the
  balmy　breath　of　woods　and　heaths；　were　made　by　God　to　give；　and　how
  the　little　geranium　did　its　best；　like　a　heaven…sent　angel；　to
  right　the　wrong　which　man's　ignorance　had　begotten；　and　drank　in；
  day　by　day；　the　poisoned　atmosphere；　and　formed　it　into　fair　green
  leaves；　and　breathed　into　the　children's　faces　from　every　pore；
  whenever　they　bent　over　it；　the　life…giving　oxygen　for　which　their
  dulled　blood　and　festered　lungs　were　craving　in　vain；　fulfilling
  God's　will　itself；　though　man　would　not；　too　careless　or　too
  covetous　to　see；　after　thousands　of　years　of　boasted　progress；　why
  God　had　covered　the　earth　with　grass；　herb；　and　tree；　a　living　and
  life…giving　garment　of　perpetual　health　and　youth。
  It　is　too　sad　to　think　long　about；　lest　we　become　very
  Heraclituses。　　Let　us　take　the　other　side　of　the　matter　with
  Democritus；　try　to　laugh　man　out　of　a　little　of　his　boastful
  ignorance　and　self…satisfied　clumsiness；　and　tell　him；　that　if　the
  House　of　Commons　would　but　summon　one　of　the　little　Paramecia　from
  any　Thames'　sewer…mouth；　to　give　his　evidence　before　their　next
  Cholera　Committee；　sanitary　blue…books；　invaluable　as　they　are；
  would　be　superseded　for　ever　and　a　day；　and　sanitary　reformers
  would　no　longer　have　to　confess；　that　they　know　of　no　means　of
  stopping　the　smells　which　in　past　hot　summers　drove　the　members　out
  of　the　House；　and　the　judges　out　of　Westminster　Hall。
  Nay；　in　the　boat　at　the　minute　of　which　I　have　been　speaking；
  silent　and　neglected；　sat　a　fellow…passenger；　who　was　a　greater
  adept　at　removing　nuisances　than　the　whole　Board　of　Health　put
  together；　and　who　had　done　his　work；　too；　with　a　cheapness
  unparalleled；　for　all　his　good　deeds　had　not　as　yet　cost　the　State
  one　penny。　　True；　he　lived　by　his　business；　so　do　other　inspectors
  of　nuisances：　　but　Nature；　instead　of　paying　Maia　Squinado；
  Esquire；　some　five　hundred　pounds　sterling　per　annum　for　his
  labour；　had　contrived；　with　a　sublime　simplicity　of　economy　which
  Mr。　Hume　might　have　envied　and　admired　afar　off；　to　make　him　do　his
  work　gratis；　by　giving　him　the　nuisances　as　his　perquisites；　and
  teaching　him　how　to　eat　them。　　Certainly　（without　going　the　length
  of　the　Caribs；　who　upheld　cannibalism　because；　they　said；　it　made
  war　cheap；　and　precluded　entirely　the　need　of　a　commissariat）；　this
  cardinal　virtue　of　cheapness　ought　to　make　Squinado　an　interesting
  object　in　the　eyes　of　the　present　generation；　especially　as　he　was
  at　that　moment　a　true　sanitary　martyr；　having；　like　many　of　his
  human　fellow…workers；　got　into　a　fearful　scrape　by　meddling　with
  those　existing　interests；　and　〃vested　rights　which　are　but　vested
  wrongs；〃　which　have　proved　fatal　already　to　more　than　one　Board　of
  Health。　　For　last　night；　as　he　was　sitting　quietly　under　a　stone　in
  four　fathoms　water；　he　became　aware　（whether　by　sight；　smell；　or
  that　mysterious　sixth　sense；　to　us　unknown；　which　seems　to　reside
  in　his　delicate　feelers）　of　a　palpable　nuisance　somewhere　in　the
  neighbourhood；　and；　like　a　trusty　servant　of　the　public；　turned　out
  of　his　bed　instantly　and　went　in　search；　till　he　discovered；
  hanging　among　what　he　judged　to　be　the　stems　of　ore…weed
  （Laminaria）；　three　or　four　large　pieces　of　stale　thornback；　of　most
  evil　savour；　and　highly　prejudicial　to　the　purity　of　the　sea；　and
  the　health　of　the　neighbouring　herrings。　　Happy　Squinado！　　He
  needed　not　to　discover　the　limits　of　his　authority；　to　consult　any
  lengthy　Nuisances'　Removal　Act；　with　its　clauses；　and　counter…
  clauses；　and　explanations　of　interpretations；　and　interpretations
  of　explanations。　　Nature；　who　can　afford　to　be　arbitrary；　because
  she　is　perfect；　and　to　give　her　servants　irresponsible　powers；
  because　she　has　trained　them　to　their　work；　had　bestowed　on　him　and
  on　his　forefathers；　as　general　health　inspectors；　those　very
  summary　powers　of　entrance　and　removal　in　the　watery　realms　for
  which　common　sense；　public　opinion；　and　private　philanthropy　are
  still　entreating　vainly　in　the　terrestrial　realms；　so　finding　a
  hole；　in　he　went；　and　began　to　remove　the　nuisance；　without
  〃waiting　twenty…four　hours；〃　〃laying　an　information；〃　〃serving　a
  notice；〃　or　any　other　vain　delay。　　The　evil　was　there；　…　and　there
  it　should　not　stay；　so　having　neither　cart　nor　barrow；　he　just
  began　putting　it　into　his　stomach；　and　in　the　meanwhile　set　his
  assistants　to　work　likewise。　　For　suppose　not；　gentle　reader；　that
  Squinado　went　alone；　in　his　train　were　more　than　a　hundred　thousand
  as　good　as　he；　each　in　his　office；　and　as　cheaply　paid；　who　needed
  no　cumbrous　baggage　train　of　force…pumps；　hose；　chloride　of　lime
  packets；　whitewash；　pails　or　brushes；　but　were　every　man　his　own
  instrument；　and；　to　save　expense　of　transit；　just　grew　on
  Squinado's　back。　　Do　you　doubt　the　assertion？　　Then　lift　him　up
  hither；　and　putting　him　gently　into　that　shallow　jar　of　salt　water；
  look　at　him　through　the　hand…magnifier；　and　see　how　Nature　is
  maxima　in　minimis。
  There　he　sits；　twiddling　his　feelers　（a　substitute；　it　seems；　with
  crustacea　for　biting　their　nails　when　they　are　puzzled）；　and　by　no
  means　lovely　to　look　on　in　vulgar　eyes；　…　about　the　bigness　of　a
  man's　fist；　a　round…bodied；　spindle…shanked；　crusty；　prickly；　dirty
  fellow；　with　a　villanous　squint；　too；　in　those　little　bony　eyes；
  which　never　look　for　a　moment　both　the　same　way。　　Never　mind：　　many
  a　man　of　genius　is　ungainly　enough；　and　Nature；　if　you　will
  observe；　as　if　to　make　up　to　him　for　his　uncomeliness；　has　arrayed
  him　as　Solomon　in　all　his　glory　never　was　arrayed；　and　so　fulfilled
  one　of　the　proposals　of　old　Fourier　…　that　scavengers；　chimney…
  sweeps；　and　other　workers　in　disgusting　employments；　should　be
  rewarded　for　their　self…sacrifice　in　behalf　of　the　public　weal　by
  some　peculiar　badge　of　honour；　or　laurel　crown。　　Not　that　his
  crown；　like　those　of　the　old　Greek　games；　is　a　mere　useless　badge；
  on　the　contrary；　his　robe　of　state　is　composed　of　his　fellow…
  servants。　　His　whole　back　is　covered　with　a　little　grey　forest　of
  branching　hairs；　fine　as　a　spider's　web；　each　branchlet　carrying
  its　little　pearly　ringed　club；　each　club　its　rose…coloured　polype；
  like　（to　quote　Mr。　Gosse's　comparison）　the　unexpanded　birds　of　the
  acacia。　（28）
  On　that　leg　grows；　amid　another　copse　of　the　grey　polypes；　a
  delicate　straw…coloured　Sertularia；　branch　on　branch　of　tiny　double
  combs；　each　tooth　of　the　comb　being　a　tube　containing　a　living
  flower；　on　another　leg　another　Sertularia；　coarser；　but　still
  beautiful；　and　round　it　again　has　trained　itself；　parasitic　on　the
  parasite；　plant　upon　plant　of　glass　ivy；　bearing　crystal　bells；
  （29）　each　of　which；　too；　protrudes　its　living　flower；　on　another
  leg　is　a　fresh　species；　like　a　little　heather…bush　of　whitest
  ivory；　（30）　and　every　needle　leaf　a　polype　cell　…　let　us　stop
  before　the　imagination　grows　dizzy　with　the　contemplation　of　those
  myriads　of　beautiful　atomies。　　And　what　is　their　use？　　Each　living
  flower；　each　polype　mouth　is　feeding　fast；　sweeping　into　itself；　by
  the　perpetual　currents　caused　by　the　delicate　fringes　upon　its　rays
  （so　minute　these　last；　that　their　motion　only　betrays　their
  presence）；　each　tiniest　ato