Did you ever hear tell of a water-glass ?" "No," said Ruth, "I never did." "Wal," said the old man, "here's one; maybe you'd like to look through it." And he showed them what looked like a wooden bucket with a glass bottom.

"Jest take an' hold it a leetle ways down into the water and see what you can see." Taking the bucket which was held out to her, Ruth did as the old man directed, and uttered an exclamation of delight.

"Why, I can see the bottom just as plain as looking through a window." "To be sure," said the old sponger; "an' that's the way we sees the sponges lying on the bottom.

An' when we sees 'em we takes those long-handled rakes there an' hauls 'em up to the top.

When they fust comes up they's plumb black, and about the nastiest things you ever did see, I reckon.