frame, and spout it out again through my large holes, was my chief occupation,
and one of which I was never weary. The water was full of tiny creatures of
all kinds, and these formed my food, and gave me always plenty to eat. In
the spring I was always busy with my maternal duties. I brought out hun-
dreds of lovely little, round eggs, yellow and white,—the prettiest eggs you
ever saw. Ina short time they put out tiny feelers, a sort of fringe of waving
lashes, like those things
on the nurse’s eyes; as
soon as they appeared
I knew my babies were
ready tocome out; and,
sure enough, they soon
broke through the egg-
covering, and, waving
their lashes, swam out
into the sea.

“At first they
stayed near me, de-
lighting my heart with
their pretty tricks; but
very soon they felt the
need of homes of their
own, and went off to
fix themselves on rocks
or coral-trees, and be-
come, in their turn,
full grown sponges,
like myself. I could
not complain, for I had
left my own mother in
the same way. I never
saw any of them again,
except one dear child,
who made his home on
the shell of a largecrab. sina
He grew finely; and became a noble sponge; but the crab never seemed to
mind him in the least, and carried him about with him wherever he went. In
this way he often passed near my ledge, and as the crab was a friendly and
sensible fellow we often had a pleasant chat together.

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