"All the world lay still and silent in the morning grey, And at once a thousand voices hail the glorious day; For the great Sun, glowing crimson, rises o'er the sea-- 'Welcome Day!' they sing together, 'Day that is to be!' Oh, how glad and sweet and joyous is that morning hymn! Whilst the golden day is stealing through the valleys dim-- Thrush and blackbird, lark and linnet, doves that coo and hum Wild delight and soft rejoicing, for the day is come. Not a thought, of care or wonder what the day will bring, For the Father careth for them in the smallest thing. There upon the pathless mountains is their table spread, All by God are known and numbered, by His hands are fed. Some in deep and tangled forests where the berries glow, Some, where children's crumbs are scattered on the garden snow, Some where, through the river sedges, Mayflies glance and play, Some where mountain tarns lie gleaming in the hollows grey. For the wild and hungry eagle, for the wren so small, All is ready--food and gladness, free to each and all." FRANCES BEVAN. Taken by permission, from _Hymns by Ter Steegen and others_. Second Series. THE FIFTH DAY. CREEPING THINGS. "_His hand hath formed the crooked serpent._"--JOB xxvi. 13. "_The Lord thy God ... who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions._"--DEUTERONOMY viii. 15. "_The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, saith the Lord._"--ISAIAH lxv. 25. The "_creeping things_" which God caused the earth to bring forth on the Fifth Day are so unlike each other in many respects that we might at first sight wonder that they should have been grouped together; but the more we study Reptiles--so called from the Latin word _reptilis_, creeping--the more we see that there are many things which this great family of vertebrate animals have in common. There are four chief divisions of the Reptile family--Tortoises and Turtles, Crocodiles, Lizards, and Snakes. Most reptiles have a tail and two pairs of limbs, but, as you know, Snakes are destitute of limbs, and seem to move along by a motion from inside, so that they have been said to walk on their ribs. Serpents are covered with horny scales; Crocodiles and Tortoises have a bony covering.